worried

**sdnet** · 26-08-2006, 08:51 PM

Uh huh.

These aptitude tests can be found everywhere, from business firms to army entry for officer training, very common. Some are used for the purpose of discrimination. For those who want to be doctors but have yet to see the purpose of this test, try imagining you are the admissions officer. Put yourself not in patients' shoes yet but the tutors'. I wouldn't say I liked the test but if I was a tutor I would have agreed it would have sieved out a lot of applicants to make admissions easier. And those who had higher marks might probably have the qualities you may have for a doctor.

**Wannabe-Doc** · 26-08-2006, 09:49 PM

eldopol123, it's not you that I'm annoyerd about, so sorry if it sounded like that -it's everything! How people can really expect to get into such a competitive course without facing hard/annoying tests, exams, and other hurdles that need to be crossed. To me, and this is just my personal opinion, they don't exactly have a realsitc view of medicine - the amount of exams and assessments and other 'fun' stuff we'll have to face in future, we'd probably think the bloomin' UKCAT as child's play!

Anyway, I'll stop - I think I need a nice relaxing holiday ....

**eldopol123** · 27-08-2006, 04:11 PM

I agree bout the holiday, i think ill join u!! anyway, yes, it wil b child's play wen we get ther! i think im just worried tat i cant prepare, but then again, ure not supposed or needed or just really cant prepare of it as this wouldnt justify the purpose of the test!

**kate999** · 27-08-2006, 07:39 PM

I know it says that you can’t prepare- I need constant reassurance, so would have hated going into with no practise! Also, although it is supposed to create a ‘level playing field’ how can that be the case when people pay money to go on one day courses to improve their chances?

**Amz** · 28-09-2006, 01:43 PM

Electrophilic_addition I agree with you!
I'm not complaining about it as such, it's just as a reapplicant I didn't have to deal with this last year and now maybe I am slightly disheartened due to my past experience. Everyone has their own view on the UKCAT and that's fine! I'm sure those who decided they were sick of people complaining about the UKCAT would themselves feel a little different if they received a lower UKCAT score and vise versa for those who originally hated it but are fine with it now they have a good result.

Anyway let's just wait and see how each university uses it, as every uni is different in how they use the results....

**Gizmo says -** · 28-09-2006, 01:47 PM

Originally Posted by Wannabe-Doc

Nobody said you had to buy the unofficial book, which is debatable in it's actual helpfulness - most people who have used it said that it made them more 'confident' - I didn't buy the book, mainly due to the fact that I used the practice on the website and other practice found on the Internet and felt fairly confident.

If you want to rant about the UKCAT feel free, but don't rant about things (like a £17 book) which nobody said you had to buy.

And also, the universities don't know how they will use the information because it's the first year it has been used - do none of you get this?! It was exactly the same when they introduced the BMAT, as well as AEAs and AS levels - it's more or less guaranteed that a new test that is being brought in, or another requirement for admissions will have some teething problems, that will be fixed soon, and that admissions tutors will be very well aware of.

I'm getting fairly sick of people complaining about the UKCAT - can't anyone just accept that as it gets more and more competitive to get into medical schools, new measures need to be brought in by universities to help them? And doubting the usefulness of the new test isn't really helpful - do you really think that all these universities would be wasting limited time and money for a pointless test?!

Just accept it and move on, if you really didn't want to do the UKCAT apply to the universities that don't ask for it!
end of rant.

good post, but...well its not getting more competitive at all.
this is merely a means of picking more suitable candidates.

if anyfing, i wuld say from the contents of this forum that UKCAT has slightly reduced competition since its put peeple off applying or peeple ave just plain forgotten to do it and wont be eligible to apply (poor maccas.

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